Methods of handling films in motion picture apparatus



Jan. 26, 1965 J. HOURDIAUX METHODS OF HANDLING FILMS IN MOTION PICTUREAPPARATUS 6 Sheets-sheaf. 1

Original Filed March 2, 1950 Jan. 26, 1965 J. HOURDIAUX 3,167,229

METHODS OF HANDLING FILMS IN MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original FiledMarch 2, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 26, 1965 J. HOURDIAUX 3,167,229

METHODS OF HANDLING FILMS IN MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original FiledMarch 2, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 26, 1965 J. HOURDIAUX METHODS OFHANDLING FILMS IN MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original Filed March 2, 19506 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 26, 1965 J. HOURDIAUX METHODS OF HANDLING FILMS INMOTION PICTURE APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 O NhN QWN %&\. NMN 11%%N EN 9/l\ v O O mm o NQN O A .lw wma @w A N E Q \m M mum o WQN o 0 $1 AN WN..

Jan. 26, 1965 J. HOURDIAUX 3,167,229

METHODS OF HANDLING FILMS IN MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original FiledMarch 2, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent Ofifice 3,167,229Patented Jan. 26, 1965 The present invention relates to film handlingmethods for use in motion picture apparatus, i.e. cameras andprojectors, having a guide face associated with an opening and forpassing the film in fixed increments along said face and inpredetermined direction along a predetermined path past said opening.The chief object of my invention is to provide a method of this kindwhich is better adapted to meet the requirements of practice than thoseexisting at the present time.

To achieve this, the invention contemplates feeding and taking up saidfilm at corresponding rates to maintain a loop of substantially constantlength adjacent said face, loosely engaging said film upstream anddownstream of said opening and bowing the loop against said guide facewith a force suflicient to restrict movement of the film due to frictionbetween the film and said guide face, and impartingsequentialconstant-amplitude impulses to said film downstream of said opening andin synchronization with said feeding and taking up to move said film insaid direction along said path.

FIG. 1 shows, in side view (with the cover removed) a motion picturecamera working according to my method; FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are,respectively, an elevation, an horizontal section on line IIIIII of FIG.2 and a section on the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

. FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show, in diagrammatic elevation, three differentmodifications; 1 FIG. 8 'shows, in elevation, a portion of a deviceworking according to the method of my invention;

FIGS. 9 and 10.are, respectively, an elevation and a section on line X-Xof FIG. 9; i FIG. 11 shows, in perspective, means for indirectly drivingthe shutter of a projector. working according to my method; i FIGIIZshows, in elevation, means for directly driving the shutter of aprojector working accordingto my I method;

I FIGS. 13 and 14 show respectively in side view and in elevation (withparts in section and parts cut away) a film driving device workingaccording to my method;

FIGS. Hand 16 diagrammatically show respectively in side viewand inelevational view (with parts in section a Theexample shown in FIG. 1relates to a motion picture'carnera which essentially includes a frameor casing 1 in which are housed the supply film spool 2 and the take upfilm spool 3. This casing supports an adjustable lens device 4 and arotary lens carrier 5 and also a control knob for starting themotormechanism (not shown), which is for instance of the spring type. Thismechanism drives a spindle which extends through a wall 7 of the casingand on which is removably keyed a feed drum 8 provided with sprocketpins adapted to engage holes provided in at least one of the edges or inthe middle of film 9, in well known manner. This mechanism also drivesthe shutter adjacent the lens.

The front portion of casing 1 is provided with a window or gate in linewith the lens and which opens into the rear wall 1a of said frontportion of casing 1.

Film 9, unwinding from spool 2 and which is fed frontward (toward theleft of FIG. 1) by the upper portion of drum 8, forms a loop which,after following a path which will be hereinafter more fully described,ends on the under portion of drum 8, to pass therefrom to spool 3. Sinceboth ends of said loop are driven in opposed directions by drum 8, thelength of this loop is constant.

As visible in FIG. 1, this loop formed by film 9 between its twopassages on drum 8 would tend to expand toward the left to a greaterdistance than it actually does. But it is flattened due to the presenceof the wall 1a of the casing, against which it is applied by itsresiliency and along which it is caused to slide by a mechanism 8-40-11-16 which will be hereinafter described. This loop formed in the filmis guided laterally through means 41- 42-43 carried by a part 13 fixedto casing wall 7, as will be hereinafter described.

It should be noted that the movement of the portion of film I01 formingthe above mentioned loop is not braked by being caused to pass betweenelements pressing it tightly from opposite sides as it is the case withprior apparatus of the same kind. In particular, the front face of piece7, located behind the lens gate opening into wall 1a is located at asufiicient distance behind said Wall 1a to permit a free passage of film9 so that said film is applied against wall 1a only by the resiliencysofthe loop formed by said film.

' Film 9 is driven by a feed mechanism of the beater arm type including,in cooperation with drum 8, a roller 10 engaging the lower part of theloop formed in film 9, this roller being carried by a beater lever 11oscillating about a pivot 12 fixed on a part 13 carried by casing wall7.

' The end or nose 14 of lever 11 (which is urged upwardly by a spring15) cooperates with bosses 16'uniformly distributed along theperipheryof an annular piece 17 which turns together with feed drum 8. The numberof these bosses 16 corresponds to the number of film frames which are tobe passed for a full revolution of piece 17.

This feed device is to a degree analogous to conven tional beater armmechanisms, but differs essentially therefrom for the following reasons:

In the conventional beater arm mechanism, the beater arm (correspondingto rocking lever 11) carries a nose or roller (corresponding to nose 14)which cooperates with a cam, including one or more bosses carried by arotary member (such as annular piece 17). This nose or roller isconstantly applied, by a sufiiciently strong spring, against the camoutline so that the oscillation of the beater arm is positivelycontrolled by thecam.

In my device, the periphery of member 17 does not constitute a cam,because nose 14 does notconstantly follow the outline thereof (spring 15being just sufficient to urge the beater arm upwardly, withoutbeing'able' to v The support may be fixed in a removable manner, onpartition 7 by means of a knob 49 (FIG. 3) carried by the inner end of arod 50 engaged in a slot provided in wall 7, the other threaded end ofrod 50 being engaged in the threaded hole of a milled knob 51 which,when fully engaged, bears upon the external face of support 13 to secureit on wall 7.

I thus obtain a system, constituted by feed drum 8, film guiding rollers40, driving roller 10 with its control means and passage 41-43 for theguiding of the film,

which is mounted'on a support 13 fixed in a removable manner on a wall 7of the apparatus. The locations and operation of all the elements ofthis system depend upon the dimensions of the film and upon the size ofthe picture and it therefore suffices to replace this system by anotherone, made on the same principle but adapted to a film or pictures ofdifferent dimensions to make it possible to use the same apparatus forsuch a film.

, In what precedes I have considered the case of a camera apparatus butan analogous arrangement can be used, with the same effects andadvantages, for projection apparatus. It is known that these apparatusinclude a rotary shutter which cooperates with the projection window inwell known manner. This shutter 50 can be operated in synchronism withthe unwinding of the film, as shown by FIGS. 11 and 12, by the maindriving spindle 26, either indirectly through a helical wheel 51 and aworm gear 52 (FIG. 11) (in the case of direct illumination), or directlyby making the shutter rigid with annular piece 17 with its bosses suchas 165 (FIG. 12) (in the case of indirect illumination).

The device such as described permits of transforming, as shown in FIGS.13 and 14, a projection apparatus (or a camera) built for a given filmsize, for instance 35 mm., the unwinding of the film being obtained bymeans of two feed drums 53 and 54, so that it can be used for the driveof a film of different size, for instance 16 mm. or 9.5 mm. The use oftwo feed drums such as drums 53 and 54, provided respectively at theinlet and the outlet of guiding passage 55, is more particularlysuitable in the case of big apparatus for standard films (of 35 mm.size).

I 63 the spindle 64 or 65 of which carries a feed drum 66 or 67 whichserves to drive a film '68 of a size different' from that correspondingto drums 53 and 54. Each spindle 64 or 65 is freely engaged, by means ofa sleeve 69 with ball or roller bearings, on a rod '70 fixed on asupport plate 71 adapted to be fixed in a removable manner on a fixedsupport 72 of the apparatus by means of at least one screw with a knob51 or the like. The

sleeve 69 of spindle 65 may be fitted with a fly-wheel 72 for makingmore uniform the movement of feed drum 67. It also carries an annularpiece 17 provided with bosses analogous, for instance, to the bosses 16dof FIG. 7 and with which cooperates the oscillating lever 11 whichcarries the roller 10 serving to insure the intermittent drive of thefilm upon every change of picture, as above explained.

A sound track scanner 73, diagrammatically shown in FIG. 13, maybemounted on a fixed support opposite the sound track 74 of the film, whensuch a track exists, and.

the light beam which passes through this scanner may be received andrefiected toward this track through a silvered annular part 75, or anyother reflecting device, mounted on the end close to drum 67, thetransverse section of this.

annular part having a suitable concave curvature. This I arrangementmakes it possible. advantageously to replace the mirrors or prismswhich, otherwise, would be neces- 6 sary for reflecting the image of thesound record toward the sound track scanner 73.

In the example shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the apparatus was initiallybuilt for projecting standard 35 mm. films and feed drums 53 and 54 weredevised for passing four pictures per revolution. It is known thatMaltese cross mechanisms or the like operate in this way. This apparatuswas transformed, owing to the provision of the elements supported byplate 71, in such manner that 16 mm. films could be projected by meansof the same apparatus, with feed drums 66 and 67. In these conditions,these drums 66 and 67 are given suitable dimensions, in particularconcerning their length and their diameter and the chain transmissions60 and 61 are arranged in such manner as to obtain the desired reductionof the motion of the existing driving spindles 56 and 57 so that feeddevices 66 and 67 drive film 68 at the desired speed, that is to sayfour frames per revolution in accordance with the operation of theMaltese cross. Sprocket wheels 58 and 59, reserved for the driving of 16mm. films, are carried by spindles 56 and 57 and not by plate 71. Theymust therefore be fixed on these spindles in a removable manner so as tomake it possible to replace them by other ones, corresponding forinstance to a 9.5 mm. film, when he apparatus is desired to be alsoadaptable for this purpose.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-22, film 101 which unwinds from the filmsupply spool is engaged on a sprocket drum 102 and forms a loop 103 inthe usual way after it leaves this drum. The film then passes in frontof projector device 104, where it is guided by means which will behereinafter described in a detailed fashion. Before engaging on thesprocket drum 105, the film is subjected to the action of theintermittent feeding means. After leaving drum 105, the film passes infront of the sound reading device 106 and returns to drum 105 beforegoing to the film take up spool. The usual means are provided forkeeping the film engaged on sprocket drums 102 and 105 and also there isprovided the smooth roller 106a located opposite the sound readingapparatus 106. These means will not be described in detail.

The sprocket drums 102 and 105 are driven simultaneously and in acontinuous fashion by a shaft 107 (FIG. 16) driven by an electric motor,for instance. This shaft 107 carries a worm 108 which meshes withtoothed wheels 109 and 110 keyed respectively on shafts 111 and 112wlu'ch drive drums 102 and 105 respectively.

Between these sprocket drums I provide the means for guiding the filmwhen it is passing in front of the projection gate. These means includeaplate 113 of fiat or slightly curved shape located opposite the gate andprovided with an aperture 114 (FIG. 20) for the passage of the lightbeam. The system further includes the usual framing mechanisms which arenot shown since they have no direct bearing on the present invention;Plate 113 is carried by the apparatus frame, preferably through means,such as screws 115 and elongated slots 116, which permit adjusting itwith respect to its support in the lateral direction. a

The face of plate 113 which is in contact with film 101 carries at leastone transverse elastic strip 117 (FIGS. 20 and 22) which extends acrossthe film and bears thereon to keep it in position. The film is thuselastically applied against plate 113 and it suffices to move strip 117away from the plate to be able to engage the film under said strip or toremove it therefrom. Lateral guiding of the film is ensured by means offingers 118 distributed at different levels along plate 113 and locatedon the same vertical line, every finger including a straight edge 119intended to cooperate with the edge of the film so as to guide it.Fingers 118 also include a surface 120 which extends over thecorresponding side portion of the film so as to prevent it from movingaway from plate 113. When the film is set in position and after it hasbeen engaged under elastic strips 117, it,suffices ,to slide the edgeportion ofthe filmunder the parts :120 of fingers118; In orderto makesure that the left han'd edge of film 101 truly engagestthe edges 115!offingers118, plate 113 is displaced toward the right' in FIG. 16 by adistance e. This displacement of plate 1'1'3 in-the lateral direction isgiven by m'eansvof cooperating pinand slot means 115 and 116.1 Film feedis obtainedby' means of beater arm' 1219f bent 'shapepivoted freelyabout a horizontalfixed axis 122 carried 'by the frame of the machine.The free end of lever 121 carries a roller 123- which restsfreely in aloop formed by. the film'as it reaches the bottornend'of guiding plate113 and before it passes'around drum 105; This bent lever 121 is given arocking'movement in a" r, lever 121 has rebounded on v abutment'128, Imayprovide a' counter abutment 128a (FIG. t 19) carried by the maf chineframe and cooperating v with lever .121.

" FIG. 19 shows lever 121 in an intermediate position in Which'it is incontact" neither with disc l2 4 nor with abutment 128. g v 7 If,the-bosses 125 ofthe disc 124 are givenalternately difierent values,lever 121 will also. be given rocking dis- "placernents, of alternatelyvarying'a'm plitudes and this vertical plane with 'an amplitudecorresponding to the height of a picture or. frame of the'film. Itfollows that when this lever 121 moves'downwardly it causes the film tomove forward a distance 'equal' to one frame,'whereas the film istemporarily'stopped in front of the projection gatelwhile lever 121 ismoving upwardly 2' i a tubular element 136 of an elastic materialjsuchas rub- Lever-121 isdriven by means of a disc .124 fixed on the Thenumber 'of bosses 125 depends upon size of y the pictures of the filmand the distance between these bosses is determined by the number forframes or picdifierence of amplitude may be used for obtaining anoffsetting of thepicturesj with respect to oneanother; for

. instance for stereoscopic projections.

In order to stabilize the rotation movement ofvdrum 10 and disc124,;both'of which are mounted'on'the same shaft 112, this lastmentioned shaft beingdriven by gears 108 and 110, I provide betweenwheel-110 and shaft 112 an elastic coupling such as shown by FIG. 16.For this purposefthe hub. ofgear wheel ,110 carries a sleeve 134 andIpr'o'vide'in this sleeve andinshaft 112 registering holes into which ishoused'a rigid pm 135 surrounded by her; .Shaft'112 may'carry afiy-wheel 133 keyed thereon.

I "FIGS, 17 andf18'show a modification in which the feed of the film :isobtained by means of 'a lever 121, a disc 124-and an elastic abutmentl28 as, above'described'. but

where-there is added to disc 124a toothed disc 137 also keyed on shaft112 and intended to controlthe shutter of the projector or camera. This.shutter (not shown) may 7 be ofariy suitable type, and it is operatedthrough a rod tures which are located onithe portion of the film appliedupon drum 105. For instance,if drum .105 carries eight or twelve framesof pictures, .thenumber of'bosses 125 of a disc 124 isalso eight ortwelve. vHowever, the number 'of bosses is not neces'sarily equal totthenumber of frames. or pictures restingflupon dru'rn105. jForinstance, thenumber of bosses might be equal'to one half of the'number of pictures,which .would make it possible to project two different pictures in the.place ofone pictureof a normal size; Bosses 125 act upon lever 121through a triangularpart 127, for instance'of fiber or any "other noisereducing substance carried by the edge oflever'121 in the plane ofdi'sc124. 1 1 Lever 121, when it is driven downwardlyby a projection 125 ofdisc 124, causes, through its roller 123, the

film 101*to move to form a loop the amplitude'of which 1 138 hinged tothe freeend of a lever 139 pivoting about a fixedtaxis'l ifi,this'l'ever being provided with a nose 141 which cooperates withtheedgeof disc 137. In order to stabilize the movement of-discs 124 and 137 andof d'r'umlOS, a fly-wheel 142.15 mounted directly on shaft 112. I mightprovide, to cooperate with the same, disc 124 or a supplementarydis'c,-a'lever analogousto lever 121 but o located in a'positiondiametrally opposed toy that of lever 1 21in order to drive the film in,the direction opposed to ggthat of its normal feeding. The'same disc,vif of a suflicient diameter, might simultaneously control severallevers, such. as 121, to control the feed 'of several films,

for instancein the case ofp'anoraniic pictures,

'7 This applicationis a division of my application- Serial is limited bythe fact-that the lower edge of lever 121:.

7 comes into contact with an abutment 128 carried bythe frame of theapparatus. Preferably, this abutment 128:

is made of a resilient material such as felt or rubber so' that lever121, when 'it is driven downwardly against'this abutment, can reboundtoward disc 124 which, in' the meantime, has turned'through the actionof the"shaft,.1 12

together with drum 105. Lever 121 thus.comesin'to con-. tact with' thenext projection 125 {of disc 124 and ,it is againf projected downwardlytoward abutment 128 and so on. During every'downward'movement of lever121, the film'moves forward a distance fequa'l to a frame or a por-'tion of aframe and during every 'upwa rd movementi of I lever 121 thefilm stops in front of the projector, frame.- Of course, the speed ofthe film,';the; size of drum. 1'05 and passing said film'in fixedincrements alongsaid guide and No. 692,102, now. U.S'. PatentTNo.3,03,6ll, filed October 24, l957 ,'which was a continuation-impartofmyapplication'Ser'; 18101340279, filed March 4,1953, which was itselfa.continuationin-part of my application-Sen No.

147,256 filed March 2, 1950. Applications Ser, Nos. 340,279 and 147,256'are1now abandoned.

-WhatI claim is: V I V 1'. A filmha'ndling method -for;use in motionpicture ap paratus having a guide associated with 'anlopening and for iin predetermined direction along a determinable'path past up said filmat corresponding rates to mamtam a loop of said opening, said method'comprising feeding and taking substantially constant 'length adjacent'said guide, loosely engaging-,saidfilm up-stream and downstream of saidopening and bowingtthe loopagainst said guide with a 1 force ;sufficientto. restrict movement of the film due'to friction between the'film andsaid. guide, imparting sequen f tial impulses tosaid to move said filmin said directhe amplitudeof'the rotating movement of'lever' 121 arechosen-so that' the intermittent-feed of 'the'filmtakes place overjthedesired lengthwhieh-depends upon the height; of the pictureand-consequently the siz e ofthe' film. 'gPr'efg. J erably, abutment 128'is' made" adjustable' with respect to' V t the 'driyingldisc 124,for-instancegby mounting 'thisjabut -ment on a substantially horizontalfinger 129 whichf is carried by a vertical. support 13 0 by, means ofthe threaded j end of the finger-which is housedin a vertical slot 13 1of support 130. 'Anut l32 v-makes it possible-to secure theabutment inthe desired-position.

Inorder'to prevent part 127,' jc arried by lever 121', violentlystriking the' concave portions of disc 124*after:

'7 impulse.

tion along saidpath, said impulses being positively imparted to the filmwith suflicientforce that the inertia of each'impulsecausesthelatter'totend to exceed a deter? lmir'iable amplitude, and limitingsaid'impulses to said amplitude byv intercepting the impulses at aposition spaced I 2. Afilm handling methodaecording to' claim lwhereinf-the impulses are generatedby abeateriengaging-the film, the endportion of said be'ater, which is free of the film. impelling against anabutm'ent' with sufiicient force to rebound into position for generatingthesnext sequential I 1 (Referenceson page) '1 9 10 References Cited inthe file of this patent 2,144,088 Scott J an. 17, 1939 UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,77 1 Hulcher D66. 4, 1956 934,894 Depue et a1, Sept. 21, 1909FOREIGN PATENTS 1,309,471 Evans July 8, 191 5 538,985 France Mar. 27,1922 1,898,850 Papo et a1. Feb. 21, 1933 333,543 Italy Jan. 2, 19362,094,162 Scott Sept. 28, 1937 973,464 France Sept. 13,1950

1. A FILM HANDLING METHOD FOR USE IN MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS HAVING AGUIDE ASSOCIATED WITH AN OPENING AND FOR PASSING SAID FILM IN FIXEDINCREMENTS ALONG SAID GUIDE AND IN PREDETERMINED DIRECTION ALONG ADETERMINABLE PATH PAST SAID OPENING, SAID METHOD COMPRISING FEEDING ANDTAKING UP SAID FILM AT CORRESPONDING RATES TO MAINTAIN A LOOP OFSUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT LENGTH ADJACENT SAID GUIDE, LOOSELY ENGAGING SAIDFILM UP-STREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OF SAID OPENING AND BOWING THE LOOPAGAINST SAID GUIDE WITH A FORCE SUFFICIENT TO RESTRICT MOVEMENT OF THEFILM DUE TO FRICTION BETWEEN THE FILM AND SAID GUIDE, IMPARTINGSEQUENTIAL IMPULSES TO SAID FILM TO MOVE SAID FILM IN SAID DIRECTIONALONG SAID PATH, SAID IMPULSES BEING POSITIVELY IMPARTED TO THE FILMWITH SUFFICIENT FORCE THAT THE INERTIA OF EACH IMPULSE CAUSES THE LATTERTO TEND TO EXCEED A DETER-